tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
AB0281 THE ALBUMIN LEVEL AND THE ACTIVITY OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, WHAT CORRELATION?
Authors: F. E. Chekkouri, A. Mougui, I. El Bouchti
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Inflammation during rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can cause changes in the serum levels of certain proteins, including albumin. Our study aims to find a link between albumin level and disease activity. <h3>Objectives</h3> The objective of our study was to study the correlation between the albumin level and the indices of RA activity. <h3>Methods</h3> Descriptive and comparative study including patients with RA between 2007 and 2021. Statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20 software. The correlation between albumin level and RA activity indices was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients (p-values). <h3>Results</h3> 260 patients were included. The average age was 49.91 years, with a female predominance in 86.9% of cases. The average duration of evolution was 4.64 years. Chronic polyarthritis was the most frequent mode of revelation (74.2%), it was deforming in 64.1% of cases. Structural damage was present in 84.8% of patients, RA was seropositive for ACPA in 82.9% and seropositive for RF in 77.5% of cases. The mean ESR and CRP levels were 44.08 mm/h and 32.68 mg/l respectively. Hypoalbuminemia was found in 41.1% of patients with an average albuminemia of 36.5 ± 6.78 g/l. The mean DAS28-CRP was 5.26 and the mean CDAI was 35.75. Patients with severe activity had more frequent hypoalbuminemia than those with moderate and low activity (67% vs 22% and 7%). A significant negative correlation was found between the albumin level and the DAS28 - CRP (r= -0.24, p=0.003), on the other hand the CDAI score was not correlated with the albumin level (r= -0.22, p=0.16). There is a significant correlation between albumin level, CRP level and ESR (r=-0.27,p=0.001, r=-0.27, p=0.001). <h3>Conclusion</h3> These results suggest that the albumin level could provide additional information on the intensity of inflammation in RA. <h3>Reference</h3> [1] Yang W, Zhang W, Ying H, Xu Y, Zhang J, Min Q, et al. Two new inflammatory markers associated with disease activity score-28 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Albumin to fibrinogen ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio. International Immunopharmacology. 2018 Sep;62:293-8 <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0278 PERIPHERAL MICROANGIOPATHY ASSESSED WITH VIDEO-CAPILLAROSCOPY IS ASSOCIATED WITH SURROGATE MARKERS OF ACCELERATED ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Authors: E. Angeloudi, E. Pagkopoulou, E. Bekiari, P. Anyfanti, M. Doumas, A. Garyfallos, T. Dimitroulas
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is characterized by increased risk for cardiovascular disease [1]. Microvascular dysfunction often coexists with or even precedes macrovascular disease, possibly due to common mechanisms of vascular damage, such as inflammatory processes and oxidative stress [1, 2]. <h3>Objectives</h3> To investigate the correlation between microcirculatory changes and markers of atherosclerosis in patients with RA. <h3>Methods</h3> The study evaluated the structural capillaroscopic parameters using video-capillaroscopy (NVC). Applying the tonometry method, the augmentation index (Aix) was calculated, as well as its adjustment to a heart rate of 75 (Aix75). Additionally, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and mean intima-media thickness (cIMT) of the two common carotids, as well as central systolic and diastolic blood pressure (cSBP, cDBP), were calculated in each patient. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 32 patients with a mean age of 63.06±11.05 years were studied. At the same time, the existence of ramified capillaries was significantly correlated with PWV (r=0.38, p=0.032), while the existence of crossed capillaries was inversely correlated with cSBP (r=-0.43, p=0.014). Based on the measurements performed in each capillary, a significant correlation was found between the internal capillary diameter and cSBP (r=0.36, p=0.043). In 16 patients the subpapillary venous plexus was visible and this finding was significantly correlated with the mean value of left cIMT (p=0.005). <h3>Conclusion</h3> The findings of this small study indicate an association between NVC alterations and markers of atherosclerosis in patients with RA. <h3>References</h3> [1] Dijkshoorn B, Raadsen R, Nurmohamed MT. Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis Anno 2022. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 2704. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11102704 [2] Bordy R, Totoson P, Prati C, Marie C, Wendling D, Demougeot C. Microvascular endothelial dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2018 Jul;14(7):404-420. doi: 10.1038/s41584-018-0022-8 <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0213 EQ5D SCORES ARE NOT AFFECTED BY AGING
Authors: I. Yoshii
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Estimating cost-effectiveness in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has received increasing attention in recent years as a large number of new drugs have been developed and generated through huge development costs and soaring drug costs. <h3>Objectives</h3> EuroQol-5th dimension score (EQ5D) is a most popular index for measuring the quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, an association between EQ5D and aging using retrospective cohort data. <h3>Methods</h3> RA patients who had been followed up for more than 3 years were picked up. Patients' simplified disease activity index score (SDAI), HAQ, pain score using a visual analog scale (PS), Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS), and EQ5D were monitored since the start of treatment (baseline: BL). Patients were divided into 3 groups; G-YY who began treatment before age 65 and continued until age 65; G-YY who began treatment before age 65 and continued until age 65 or older; G-OO who began treatment at age 65 or older. The crude model and SHS or HAQ matched models were used to compare the mean EQ5D during treatment of G-YY and G-OO statistically using Mann-Whitney U test. We also statistically compared the EQ5D of each subject under age and over age 65 in the G-YO group using repeated T-test measurements. <h3>Results</h3> There were 143 G-YY, 88 G-YO and 307 G-OO, for a total of 538. The means for each group were 49.9, 61.2 and 76.9 for ages G-YY, G-YO and G-OO, 12.5, 12.1 and 13.0 for SDAI, 0.281, 0.353 and 0.627 for HAQ, 29.7, 55.4 and 56.3 for SHS, 35.5, 31.1 and 36.6 for PS and 0.807, 0.761 and 0.724 for EQ5D, respectively. The mean EQ5D score of G-YY was significantly higher than that of G-OO using crude data, but there was no significant difference between the two groups after adjusting for SHS or HAQ. Comparing the mean EQ5D scores of G-YO before age 65 and after age 65 also showed no difference between the two periods. Using data from all patients, HAQ scores were significantly correlated with age. <h3>Conclusion</h3> HAQ scores were significantly correlated with aging, and EQ5D scores were significantly correlated with HAQ scores, but EQ5D scores were not correlated with aging. This explains why EQ5D scores are independent of aging. This may be useful in calculating cost-benefit assessments for older RA patients. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> NIL. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0176 GENETIC EVIDENCE REVEALED A CAUSAL ROLE OF GUT MICROBIOTA IN POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA
Authors: Y. Zhang, Z. Zhang, J. Hou, L. Liu, Q. Yu, P. F. He, X. Li, S. X. Zhang
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disease characterized by bilateral pain involving and less commonly the neck and the pelvic girdle[1]. However, no definitive evidence supports that gut microbiota is associated with PMR. <h3>Objectives</h3> In this study, we conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the associations of genera of gut microbiota with PMR. <h3>Methods</h3> The data of gut microbiota were derived from the Integrated Epidemiology Unit (IEU) GWAS database, which included 1523 PMR cases and 213145 healthy controls[2]. A series of results were calculated to analyze the causal effects between gut microbiota and PMR. Inverse variance weighted is the primary and we did several analyses to prove MR result, weighted-median, MR Egger regression, and MR-presso. Cochran's Q statistics were used to quantify the heterogeneity of instrumental variables[3]. <h3>Results</h3> The MR results for the causal effect of gut microbiota on PMR showed that genus Erysipelatoclostridium(odds ratio (OR)=0.910, 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.307-2.39, p =0.867) and genus Ruminococcaceae(OR=0.394, 95% CI =0.124-1.250, p =0.145) are protective factors for PMR. And genus Butyricimonas(OR=2.837, 95% CI=0.861-9.346, p=0.114), genus Eisenbergiella(OR=1.5818551, 95% CI =0.251-9.945,p=0.631), genus Coprobacter(OR=1.359, 95% CI =0.470-3.925, p =0.586)were correlated with the risk of PMR. In the meantime, heterogeneity(P&gt;0.05) and pleiotropy (P&gt;0.05) analysis confirmed the reliability of MR results.(Figure 1) <h3>Conclusion</h3> These findings provided that partial gut microbiota have an obvious causal relationship with PMR. Further trials are needed to clarify the protective effect of gut microbiota. <h3>References</h3> [1]Doddamani, R.S., et al., <i>Robot-guided Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Slit-like Ventricles.</i> Neurol India, 2021. <b>69</b>(2): p. 446-450. [2]Kurilshikov, A. and C. Medina-Gomez, <i>Large-scale association analyses identify host factors influencing human gut microbiome composition.</i> 2021. <b>53</b>(2): p. 156-165. [3]Liu, K., et al., <i>Causal effects of gut microbiota on diabetic retinopathy: A Mendelian randomization study.</i> Nat Genet, 2022. <b>13</b>: p. 930318. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0277 WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN LUNG INVOLVEMENT AND ANTI-CCP ANTIBODIES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY
Authors: H. EL-Kasmi, N. Akasbi, I. El Mezouar, M. Omari, T. Harzy
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronic inflammatory rheumatism responsible for joint destruction and also a systemic disease. Pulmonary involvement is one of the most common extra-articular manifestations of RA and it is associated with a poor prognosis. Several studies have demonstrated an association between the occurrence of RA and the positivity of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), an immunological biomarker that is used to evaluate the disease activity in RA patients. <h3>Objectives</h3> The objective of this study was to investigate the link between anti-CCP and lung damage in patients with RA. <h3>Methods</h3> The study was a retrospective analysis that included 407 patients who were followed for RA between January 2011 and March 2022. Data were collected from the medical records of the patients, and analyzed using statistical test such chi-squared, Fisher's exact test and t-test. The level of significance was set at p=0.05.The study design included a thorough data cleaning process. <h3>Results</h3> The mean age of patients (n=407) was 58.86 years ± 12.441 with a sex ratio of 6 (F/M). The median duration of evolution was 14 ± 7.523 years, 16% of patients were hypertensive and 19.5% were diabetic RA was erosive in 87.2% of patients, rheumatoid factor (RF) was positive in 85% of patients, and anti-CCP was positive in 64.9% of patients. The mean RF level was 165.8982 ± 278.49, and the mean anti-CCP level was 224.26 ± 440.18. Pulmonary involvement was present in 14.5% of patients, with a restrictive pattern seen on pulmonary function tests in 40.4% of cases, and rheumatoid nodules, diffuse interstitial lung disease lesions, and bronchiectasis seen on thorax CT scan in 67.2%, 31.6%, and 25.9% of cases respectively. The study found that anti-CCP was positive in 96.6% of patients with lung involvement, compared to those without lung involvement, with a statistically significant difference (p&lt;0.001). This suggests that a high anti-CCP level may be a risk factor for pulmonary involvement in RA patients. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The study demonstrated the positive association between anti-CCP and the existence of pulmonary involvement in RA, which is consistent with data from the literature. It's important to note that this study is a retrospective one and further studies with larger population and different design are needed to validate the findings. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> NIL. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0153 GENETIC EVIDENCE SUPPORTS CAUSAL EFFECT OF GUT MICROBIOTA AND DERMATOMYOSITIS
Authors: L. Liu, Y. Zhang, X. Geng, Q. Yu, P. F. He, X. Li, S. X. Zhang
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Recent observational research has documented that dermatomyositis (DM) has lower gut microbial diversity and a distinct taxonomic composition[1]. However, the underlying causality remains unclear. <h3>Objectives</h3> To explore the potential causal associations between gut microbial genera and DM, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. <h3>Methods</h3> We selected genetic variants associated with gut microbiota traits (n = 14,306) [2]and DM (n=213,353) from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Two-sample MR analysis was conducted to identify potential causal gut microbial genera for DM using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted-median, and MR-Egger regression. The sensitivity analysis was also performed to verify the robustness of the primary results of the MR analysis. Cochran's Q statistics were used to quantify the heterogeneity of instrumental variables[3]. <h3>Results</h3> Three bacterial genera were associated with the risk of DM in the IVW method. <i>Ruminococcaceae</i> genus(id.11360) was positively associated with DM [odds ratio(OR):2.44, 95%CI:1.17-5.07], as well as for <i>Sutterella</i> genus (id.2896, OR:3.39, 95%CI:1.30-8.84). In addition, results indicated a negative association for the <i>Anaerotruncus</i> genus (id.2054, OR:0.31, 95%CI:0.11-0.88) with DM (Table 1). Moreover, the sensitive analysis excluded the influence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Leave-one-out analysis also suggested the results were robust. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This study demonstrates that the <i>Ruminococcaceae</i>, <i>Sutterella</i>, and <i>Anaerotruncus</i> are causally related to DM, providing novel insights into the gut microbiota-mediated development mechanism of DM to access more therapeutic methods. <h3>References</h3> [1]Bae, S.S., et al., <i>Altered Gut Microbiome in Patients With Dermatomyositis.</i> ACR Open Rheumatol, 2022. <b>4</b>(8): p. 658-670. [2]Kurilshikov, A., et al., <i>Large-scale association analyses identify host factors influencing human gut microbiome composition.</i> Nat Genet, 2021. <b>53</b>(2): p. 156-165. [3]Davey Smith, G. and G. Hemani, <i>Mendelian randomization: genetic anchors for causal inference in epidemiological studies.</i> Hum Mol Genet, 2014. <b>23</b>(R1): p. R89-98. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0283 THE IMPACT OF POLLUTION ON DISEASE ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A 112 PATIENT GROUP STUDY
Authors: H. Tebaa, A. Rafi, H. Arabi, A. Mougui, I. El Bouchti
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Air pollution is incriminated in a large number of respiratory and cardiovascular pathologies. More recently, the role of particulate matter from pollution has been studied in autoimmune diseases and in particular in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). <h3>Objectives</h3> The objective of our study is to evaluate the impact of air pollution measured by the air quality index (AQI) on different disease parameters during rheumatoid arthritis. <h3>Methods</h3> We included in this study 112 patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, residing in different regions of southern Morocco. Inclusion criteria were: established rheumatoid arthritis, duration of residence exceeding one year in the same region. Exclusion criteria were: specific professional exposure to industrial pollutants and passive and active smoking. The air quality was evaluated by the new ATMO index which classifies the air quality in five levels: Good, average, degraded, bad, very bad and extremely bad according to the concentration of the four air pollutants. The following parameters were collected: duration of disease progression, age, number of exacerbations per year, the mean DAS 28 CRP during the last year, the mean CRP during the last year, the use of analgesics, the number of hospitalizations, an univariate and multivariate analysis evaluating the association and the correlation with the different parameters was carried out by the SPSS 2021. <h3>Results</h3> 112 patients were included. The female sex represents 66%. The different regions included in the study were: Marrakech in 68 cases with an AQI of 47, Safi in 9 cases with an AQI of 21, Beni Mellal in 6 cases with an AQI of 29, Sidi Rehal in 1 case with an AQI of 1, Demnate in 2 cases with an AQI of 29, Ouarzazate in 4 cases with an AQI of 25, Azilal in 10 cases with an AQI of 34, Zagora in 4 cases with an AQI of 21, Youssoufia in 1 case with an AQI of 9, Guelmim in 7 cases with an AQI of 17, Semara in 1 case with an AQI of 46. The average DAS 28 was 3.11. The mean CRP was 23.1 mg/l. The average number of hospitalizations during the last year was 2.5. The average number of exacerbations in the last year was 5.6. The use of level 1 analgesic was noted in 22%, level 2 in 13%. A positive correlation was found between the number of exacerbations and AQI (p 0.001, rs 0.67), CRP and AQI (p 0.013, rs 0.71). <h3>Conclusion</h3> The associations between rheumatoid arthritis and air pollution seem complex, it can be considered as a risk factor aggravating rheumatoid arthritis, and these hypotheses have to be demonstrated on a larger sample. <h3>Reference</h3> [1] Ho W, Chou L, Wang R, Doan T, Yu H, Chou T, et al. Association between Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Taiwan: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study. IJERPH. 2022 Jun 8;19(12):7006 <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0308 QUANTIFICATION OF SARCOPENIA IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS BY MEASURING THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE THIGH MUSCLES WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Authors: F. Salaffi, M. Carotti, A. C. Poliseno, L. Ceccarelli, S. Farah, M. Di Carlo, A. Giovagnoni
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Sarcopenia is a prevalent condition in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), estimated to affect 31% of them. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows the measurement of cross-sectional area (CSA) and volume of a muscle and the visualization of its morphological features and their distribution. Quality deterioration of the muscle, characterised by the presence of adipose tissue (defined as myosteatosis) and of fibrous connective tissue (defined as myofibrosis), is best diagnosed with MRI. <h3>Objectives</h3> To determine the utility of CSA measurements on MRI, at the level of the thigh muscles, to estimate muscle mass in discriminating RA patients with sarcopenia from those without. <h3>Methods</h3> Consecutive female RA patients were enrolled for this cross-sectional study. Patients were assessed for disease activity, radiological damage, handgrip strength, physical performance and for the presence of sarcopenia, identified in accordance with the EWGSOP2 criteria. A 1.5T MRI machine was used to scan the thigh muscles. A dimensional region growth algorithm (Horos<sup>TM</sup>) was used to semiautomatically segment the muscles cross-sectional areas (CSAs, in cm<sup>2</sup>) on MR images located 25 cm above the knee joint (MRI-CSA-25) (Figure 1). The MRI-CSA-25 was obtained by summing the areas of the individual muscles. MRI-CSA-25 was correlated (Pearson's r) with the other variables, and its optimal cut-off point (Youden index) for sarcopenia diagnosis was identified in relation to the EWGSOP2 criteria. <h3>Results</h3> 32 RA female patients were studied, 34.4% diagnosed as sarcopenic. The mean MRI-CSA-25 was 151.00 cm<sup>2</sup> for patient with sarcopenia, 275.57 cm<sup>2</sup> for patient without sarcopenia (p &lt;0.001). MRI-CSA-25 correlated significantly with measures of physical performance, and disease activity, but not with radiological damage or age. The MRI-CSA-25 optimal cut-off point in discriminating sarcopenic patients was identified at 182 cm<sup>2</sup> (AUC-ROC = 0.894). <h3>Conclusion</h3> MRI-CSA-25 can differentiate sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic RA patients, representing an imaging biomarker of this condition. <h3>References</h3> [1]Salaffi F et al. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. https://doi.org/doi: 10.1007/s12016-022-08943-z. [2]Salaffi F et al. Radiol Med 2022; 127:1277-1291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-022-01560-y. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.
AB0318 DAS28 WITH THREE VARIABLES PERFORMANCE IN A COHORT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CONCOMITANT FIBROMYALGIA
Authors: S. Miladi, B. A. Hiba, F. Alia, S. Ben Yaacoub, H. Bousaa, M. Yasmine, K. Ouenniche, K. Selma, C. Selma, K. Ben Abdelghani, L. Ahmad
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Several studies have shown that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with concomitant fibromyalgia (FM) can cause an overestimation of the disease. activity assessed by the 28 disease activity score (DAS28) by inflating the patient reported components. DAS28 V3 is calculated based on only three variables: swollen and tender joint counts and CRP. <h3>Objectives</h3> The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the DAS28 V3 in a cohort of RA patients with and without concomitant FM. <h3>Methods</h3> Cross-sectional observational study that included consecutive patients with diagnosis of RA (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria) with and without concomitant FM (ACR 2016). Demographic and RA characteristics were collected. All patients underwent a clinico-biological and an ultrasound (US) assessment of RA activity. US examination included the assessment of synovial/tenosynovial hypertrophy in grey scale and in Power Doppler (PD). P&lt;0.5 was accepted for significance. <h3>Results</h3> Eighty patients distributed into 40 patients in each group were recruited. Epidemiological and RA characteristics were comparable between groups. Subjective. activity parameters were higher in RA with FM group (p ≤0.05). No significant difference was observed between the groups in regards to mean DAS28, DAS28 V3, SDAI and CDAI (p=0.12, p=0.14, p=0.2 and p=0.5 respectively). DAS28 was significantly greater than DAS28 V3 in RA with FM group (p=0.000). However, no difference between DAS28 and DAS28 V3 was not significant in the PR without FM group. Multivariate analysis in RA with FM group showed that DAS28 V3 was significantly positively associated with the presence of US synovial hypertrophy (r=0.494, p=0.001) and the presence of US PD synovitis (r=0.155, p=0.032), while Patient Global Activity expressed a significant negative association (r=-0.392, p=0.049 and r=-0.642, p=0.005 respectively). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Our study confirms that DAS28 V3 score would represent a better alternative for the clinical assessment of disease activity in RA patients with concomitant FM. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> NIL. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.